Aircraft



May 19 1942- F. NALLINGER 2,283,223

AI'RCRAFT Filed Dec. 14, 1958 'Vga Patented May 19, 1942 *I U'Ni'rlzp f STATES PATEN-'r o1-Fica I I- 2,283,223 Y a Y I Fritz Nallinger, Stuttgart, Germany, assignor to Y- Bihler-Bcn! Aktiligesellschlft, Stiltg$lt Unterturkheim, Germany Application nmber 14,193s,serialNo.24'5,6o5 r InGennany December 14, 1937 Y, Y I.' 11 Claims.

This invention' relates the principal object being to provide releasable additional. supporting surfaces which can be re-` leased'bythe pilot so that they become separated from the aircraft after take-olf. 1

To facilitate take-off, it is known to provide air craft-with retractable auxiliary supporting surfaces. This provision was particularly intended for long-range high speed craft having ad initially high specic surface loading. These auxiliarysurfaces were to be moved out to reduce the speciiicfs'urface loading and therewith the take-'off speedand were to be retracted after take-oligo nthat speed of travel could be increased due to; reduction -of air resistance. -This known arrangement unnecessarily increases theflying weight of the ,aircraft and involves constructional true thatgtheretractablesurfaces may be -used again when landing, so as to reduce the landing to an improved aircraft,-

withreleasablel auxiliary-supporting surfaces at y the rear edges of its main planes;

f Figure 4 is a sectional Figure 2 is a cross section to a larger "scale of one of the planes. fitted 'with an auxiliary -supporting surfacevseen in Figure 1, and it includes a diagrammaticshowing of the releasing'means for the auxiliary supporting surface; e

' Figure 3v is similary to Figure 2, but shows the auxiliary lsupporting surface in a partially released condition; Y

plan of the tip portion of a plane, having a releasable auxiliary surface attached'thereto; *l l Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4, but shows the auxiliary surface released andjettisoned from the wing tip and with a parachute attached to andy outilowing from it; and problems -which `are-diiiicult of solution. It is speed, but longlrange aircraft usually land with comparativelyv'empty fuel tanks so that their specic surface loading is considerably lower than Y it is atthe take-0R.

e The disadvantages aforesaid are avoided by the provsionsin accordance with the present inven 10D. .J d'1? Q The releasable auxiliary supporting surfaces in accordancefwiththe present invention may be forcibly jettisoned after release, or they maybe permitted simplyio The said may be applied eitherto the front or Y of the planes or wings or to the tips thereof. Also, they may be applied as independentadditional wings atsuitable points and may form Vwith the main supporting surfaces a temporary plane and-a-half.

If desired, the releasable auxiliary surfaces may be applied so that they can swing into an unloaded position'before being .1ettisoned-.V

In order fo'av'oid dangerous falling of the released or iettisoned parts, the latter may be provided with para hutes for controlling their descent. Y Y

If the auxiliary surfaces of an aeroplane have a central 'unitary part, they may form the wings Such a glider may bemanned by ing or as an inherently stable supporting wing, for example in the -In the annexed drawingz.

separate from the aircraft..

form of the so-called Referring to Figure 1, -an aircraft comprising.

the usual wings III and tail unit 23 is fitted at the rear edge of the wings with auxiliary supporting surfaces I8 which are releasable in4 a manner hereinafter described.

As already indicated, the releasable .auxiliary surfaces may be attached to other edges or parts` and referring to Figure 4 it will be seen that an auxiliary supporting surface Il is attached to the tip of a wing such as I0 in Figure 1. The releasable attachment of this auxiliary surface Il to fashion that a. conical extension-I2 of the main V-Figure 1 isaseconal plan of an'aircraft fitted 55 the main supporting surface is effected in such spar I3 of the auxiliary surface Il extends into a correspondingly shaped open end of a socket I4 of the main supporting surface and is locked therein in appropriate readily releasable fashion. The locking is designed so that it lcan be released at any time fromthe plots seat, The locking means consists of a pawl 3| which is mounted rotatably about a pivot 32 and is pressed by a spring 33 into the recess 34 and against a stop surface of the part 35 of the spar I3. The pawl 3l can be swung to releasethestop part 35 by a pull-cable 33 which can be pulled from the pilots seat, and the supporting surface II is thereby released and ca n be forcibly thrown of or jettisoned by a spring I5 housed within the socket Il. In order to prevent unintentional turning of the e conical spar-stub I 2 in the socket the former may be roughened, toothed .or otherwise provided with notches on'its outer surface, and the latter on its inner-surface. The compression spring I5 in the socket Il is highly stressed and constantly I4 against the action of the locking device. The

position of the main spar I3 of the auxiliary supporting surface I I is so selected that its longitudinal axis lies somewhat in front ofthe mean pressure line of said auxiliary surface whenat its normal angle of incidence.

When the aircraft, after take-off, has reached a sufficient flying altitude and the additional surface has thus fulfilled its purpose, the pilot .first releases themeans locking the auxiliary surface II slightly, so that the spar-stub I2 can move a little from its conical seating. Thespar-stub I2 can now turn freely about its longitudinal axis. Consequently, the auxiliary surfacey Il reduces its angle of incidence until'its mean pressure line, which accordingly travels forwardly, coincides with the axis of rotation of the Aspar I3. With this setting, the additional surface now supports substantially its own weight only, and therefore no longer assists the main supporting surface. The pilot of the aircraft can now adjust the trimming of the machine in accordance with the new condition.- He then completely releases the locking means as seen in Figure 5, so that the spar-stub I2 is ejected from the socket I4 by the compression spring I and the auxiliary supporting surface II is consequently projected away from the main supporting surface I0. At the same time, a parachute I6, Figure 5, which has lain packed in the hollow space of the auxiliary lsurface II, is projected from the latter or is drawn out with the aid of a rip cord attached to the main supporting surface, whereupon the aux'- iliary surface suspended from' the parachute floats slowly to earth. Naturally, 'the process described takes place simultaneously on both sides of the aircraft.

Referring to Figures 1to 3,Lthe attachment of the auxiliary supporting surfaces to the rear edge of the main planes is effected by spars I9 which are inserted' against the compression of springs 2I in corresponding sockets 20 in the main supporting surface I0 andare locked therein. The spars I3 are divided by ball joints 22 which, as long as the spars are located completely in the sockets 28, have no particular effect. The unlocking of the auxiliary surfaces I8 from the pilots seat after take-off has been completed is effected here also in two stages. First of all v- The locking means may comprise two pawls 31, 38 Figures 2 and 3 rotatable about pivots 33 V and 40. 'I'he pawls engage in a groove 4I inthe spar I8 and are under the influence of respective springs 45 and 43. Initially, the pawl 31 under 'theactlon of its spring 45 secures the spar 43 at the pilot's seat, which is guided in a guldeway 44 seen in plan beneath the lever 43 in F13- ure 2. inthe arrangement illustrated, the pull cable 42 is connected flxedly with the pawl 31 but has a bridle engagement with the pawl 38 giving a certain amount of lost motion which permitsof the pawls 31 and 38 being operated in succession by the pull cable 42. In the position illustrated in Figure 2, in which the auxili-ary supporting surface I8 is fixed, the pawl 31 secures the spar I3 and the operating lever 43 is in the position O to the leftin the guideway 44. If the lever 43 is moved into the central position I, then the pawl 31 is raised and releases the spar which is displaced by the spring 2l until the pawl '38 engages the stop shoulder and holds the spar as seen in Figure 3. The joint 22 emerges from the socket 20 and the auxiliary supporting surface I8 is then free to swing into an indifferent position in which it supports substantially its own weight only as already explained. When the lever 43 isv moved y further into the position II, the pawl 38 is raised in turn to effect complete release and the auxiliary supporting surface I8 is forcibly jettisoned by the springs 2 I. Upon the first movement of the operating lever 43 from position O into position- I, the pawl 38 is not affected since the cable engages this pawl by the lost motion meansv already referred to. The several cables for the pawls of the spars I3 may be led together to a common cable 42 and operated by a common lever 43. The guide slot in the h guideway 44 is bent inthe middle as seen in the additional surfaces are pushed rearwardly by the springs 2| until the ball joints 22 just emerge from the tubular sleeves 28 as seen in Figure 3. The additional surfaces are then swung by the wind of flight, aboutthe horizontal line connect-,- ing the ball joints, `into an indifferent position in which they now support substantially their own weight only. After re-trimming of the aircraft bythe pilot, the means locking the auxiliary surfaces I8 is completely released and the 'auxiliary surfaces are projected rearwardly by the springs 2I. The Spars I3 and sockets 2 0 are setat an angle as seen in Flgurefl so that, due to the obliquely outwardly directed ejection of the sparsV I3, the projection of the auxiliary surfaces I8 takes place in a direction rearwardly and outwardly. By this means, the auxiliary surfaces I8 cannot come in contact with the rearward control means of the tail unit 23- of the aircraft. If desired, parachutes may be disposed in the auxiliary surfaces as already explained .with reference to vFigure 5, so that upon the throwingoff of the auxiliary. surfaces I8, the parachutes open in order to carry the said surfaces back to the ground without danger.

Figure 2, in order to prevent accidental operationof the' lever 43 right through the middle position I.

In the example illustrated in Figure 6, single comparatively large auxiliaryv supporting surfaces 25 are supported centrally above` the body 26 of a low-wing machine. The auxiliary surfaces are provided with their own control means 21 and body 28 'in which a separate pilot may be accommodated. The additional surfaces are releasably coupled at 28 to the body 28. After the take-voirhas been completed, this couplingis, released from .the interior of Ithe aircraft. In this fashion, the specific surface loading of the main supporting surface 30 is increased and that of the additional surface25greduced. -Consequently, the two uncoupled units tend to move rapidly apart. A pilot seated in the body 28 may then steer the auxiliary supporting Surfaces back to the take-off point'in gliding flight. 0r,

the additional surface maybe permitted to glide to earth without pilotage.

If desired, more than one auxiliary supporting surface may be releasably attached to each wing, plane or normal supporting surface of an aircraft. For example, the plane I3 in Figure 1 may have both the auxiliary surface o Figure 2 and the auxiliary surface of Figure 4 attached to it in the manner set forth.

It will therefore be seen that Il'iave provided a construction which satisfies the objects enumerated above, and one which constitutes a valuable advance in the art. While 1 nave shown the invention in certain embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications of the structure shown may be made by those skilled in this art without departing from my invention as expressed in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. Aircraft comprising releasable auxiliary supporting surfaces, pivotal attachment means between said auxiliary surfaces and normal supporting surfaces of said aircraft, locking means normally locking said attachment means against any movement but partially releasable to permit pivotal movement and Wholly releasable to permit separation of said auxiliary surfaces from said aircraft, and control means operable on said locking means.

2. Aircraft comprising releasable auxiliary supporting surfaces, spars on said auxiliary surfaces and comprising conical stubs, sockets comprising conical seatings for the reception of said stubs said sockets being disposed in the main sup,- porting surfaces of the aircraft, and locking means operative on said stubs and releasable at faces and releasable auxiliary supporting surfaces, attachment means connecting said auxiliary surfaces to the edges of said main supporting surfaces, means for releasing the connection between said main and auxiliary surfaces, and spring ejector means for separating said auxiliary surfaces from said main surfaces after release by outward jettisoning.

n 3 load-supporting surfaces, a plurality of auxiliary'load-supporting surfaces, and means for releasably connecting said auxiliary surfaces to said aircraft while permitting said surfaces to Cil swing freely in the slip-stream of said aircraft,`

while still attached thereto, and means for forcibly jettisoningsaid surfaces after assumption of their free position. l

7. In an aircraft, a main supporting surface having an opening, an auxiliary supporting surface forming an aligned extension for said main supporting surface and provided with a projecting spar extending into said opening, and re,

leasable detent means for first holding said spar in said openingand said auxiliary supporting surface in juxtaposition `to said main support 'ing surface, and then forcibly jettisoning rthe same.

8. 'I'he combination according to claim 7, in which said main supporting surface is the main transverse wing for said aircraft, said auxiliary supporting surface is anextended trailing edge mit it to assume a free position in the air-stream while still cnnectedto said aircraft, and then lals 4. An aeroplane having main, supporting sur- `5. Aircraft comprising releasable auxiliary sup- .l

porting surfaces, attachment means connecting said auxiliary surfaces to edges of normal supportingl surfacesof saidaircraft said attachment means being pivotal in a partially released condition to permit said auxiliary surfaces to swing to an indifferent position, pawl locking means operative for locking said auxiliary surfaces in either a xedly attached or partially released condition. a hand control movable from a-position corresponding with xed attachment to a position corresponding with partial release, and stop means adapted for temporarily obstructing said hand control in the intermediate position.

6. In an aircraft vhaving a plurality of main connected to said aircraft, after the aircraft has reached a desired height. adjusting the aircraft controls to compensate for such partial release,-

a'nd then forcibly jettisoning said auxiliary sur;-

11. In an aircraft having a main load-suriporting surface, an auxiliary supporting surfacfe provided with a projecting spar-,1 said spar having `position corresponding with full release via a A a notched portion near its projecting endfsocket means on said aircraft fr receiving said spar,

means tending to forcibly eject said spar from. said socket means, a pair of releasable detents for engaging saidvnotched portion, the first of said detents holding said spar in its whole inserted position against the force of said' ejecting means, the second of said detents adapted to engage said notched portion for the partial release of said spar upon the release of said first detent, and 4control means for sequentially releasing said first and second detents.

` FRITZ NALLINGER. 

